The invention is directed to improvements in the prior art which is known from the separate document EP 1 732 197 A2.
The known linear motor consists of a U-shaped profiled stator housing, which forms an inner installation space for receiving a winding packet consisting of multiple coils, wherein the installation space is delimited on the cover side by a longitudinally-displaceable carriage driven on the stator housing, on which a length scale is fastened, which a position sensor is arranged opposite to in the stator housing.
The known linear motor is distinguished by an integrated longitudinal guide for the carriage. For the longitudinal guide of the approximately plate-shaped carriage, longitudinal grooves are implemented on the carriage side walls, in which one half of a roller arrangement engages, the other half of which engages in slide rails arranged on the opposite side of the stator housing in longitudinal grooves.
Such a roller arrangement has proven itself to a large extent. Because the roller arrangement is integrated in the interior of the stator housing and engages in the side walls of the approximately plate-shaped carriage, small structural dimensions therefore result of the linear motor, which operates at high power.
The compact construction of the linear motor according to EP 1 732 197 A2 is distinguished in that the stator housing is implemented approximately U-shaped in section and forms an inner installation chamber, which extends over the entire longitudinal extension of the stator housing. The U-shaped installation chamber is covered by an approximately plate-shaped carriage, which is driven so it is longitudinally displaceable, and on the underside of which a carriage-side receptacle chamber is arranged for receiving the permanent magnets.
It is characteristic for the known linear motor that a position sensor for scanning a carriage-side length scale is arranged in the installation chamber of the U-shaped profiled stator housing. The position sensor is accordingly arranged fixed in place in the installation chamber of the stator housing laterally adjacent to the winding packet, and the length scale, which is scanned in a contactless manner by the position sensor, is arranged on the underside adjacent to the permanent magnets in the cover region of the plate-shaped carriage.
Due to the necessarily adjacent arrangement of the winding packet arranged in the stator housing and the position sensor arranged adjacent thereto, however, the disadvantage existed that the usable installation area for the winding packet was thus restricted, because the position sensor arranged in the interior of the stator housing obstructed a lateral extension of the winding packet.
For this reason, the dimensioning of the winding packet could not be enlarged optimally, because it had to be implemented as relatively narrow due to the lateral delimitation by the position sensor arranged there.
The drive power of the known linear motor was therefore not optimal, because the installation space could not be utilized optimally for the winding packet.
The known linear motor has, as a dimensioning example, a stator housing having a width of 64 mm and a height of 25 mm with a variable length—depending on the type—in the range of approximately 44 to 272 mm.
For the mentioned reason, in the installation space additionally occupied by the position sensor, in each case only one winding packet having dimensions of approximately 18 mm×40 mm, in relation to six installed coils, can be installed, which restricted the power and therefore also the performance of the known linear motor.